Amity's Closure + Other Events
Before Amity could tear into Odalia, Lilith walked over to her daughter and tugged on her skirt.
"Yeah, mom?" Amity asked, "What is it?"
The "knocked-down" historian gestured to her daughter to lean down, and Amity did that. Lilith whispered something, and Amity grinned.
She looked at Odalia and played on her harp. The abomination lifted the ex-Blight to her feet, and Lilith walked up to her. Odalia glared weakly at her old schoolmate, and Lilith, in turn, kicked her in the shin.
"No one picks on my family," Lilit said calmly and returned to her daughter.
Amity smiled at her mother and then turned serious as she looked at Odalia. To her credit, she wasn't howling in pain. Instead, Odalia was using the pain to override some of her fears.
"Now," Amity began, plucking a harp string, "Where to begin?"
She paced in front of her ex-mother as Lilith sat on the ground. Odalia followed with her eyes as she felt more of her fear fade away.
"How about how you treated me growing up?" Amity started, stopping in front of the disgraced woman. "The constant lectures you would give me for the smallest of mistakes. Or what about forcing the school to give me work well beyond my grade?"
Amity could feel her anger boil and played her harp to calm down before she continued. Odalia felt more of her fear fade as she heard the harp's sound.
"But, you know what's worse about my upbringing," Amity said, not asked, "I am an Abomination user and, as we are taught, if our control isn't strong enough, our abomination could turn on us."
Amity's stare turned into a glare as she looked Odalia right in the eyes. The ex-businesswoman felt some of her fears return as she saw the fury in her daughter's eyes.
"And you were underfeeding me when you got tired of your lectures!" Amity said sharply. "I was a little girl when you decided on that punishment. I was too young to know what was happening to me, but I learned later I had several times when my abomination nearly turned on me because I didn't have the energy to control it."
Everyone in earshot gasped when they heard this; Darius was possibly the most horrified by this. The ex-Coven Head's body was shaking, his left arm shifting erratically.
"If Mom didn't see this and began feeding me, I would have been in trouble," Amity said, looking fondly at Lilith.
The "knocked-down" historian tried to smile at her daughter, but it came off shaky. Amity returned the smile and then turned to Odalia, scowling.
"But, despite the fact you could have indirectly caused my death, it still wasn't as bad as what came later."
Amity felt her anger flare again as bad memories began to assault her. She played her harp to try and calm down, but it wasn't working. The bitterness she felt was too much to tame, and she sighed.
She put her harp away and looked around. She was surprised that no one had moved yet. She would have figured that Luz would run to her side after she got the full story of Amity's youth.
Instead, the human witch looked like she was fighting to keep herself from rushing Odalia and beating the living daylights out of her.
Amity sighed bitterly and looked back at her ex-mother. She took a minute to try and get her anger under control.
"Not only did you hold impossible expectations over me," Amity explained bitterly, "But you outright manipulated me at every turn."
"...I have no idea what you're talking about?" Odalia said, finding her voice. "All I ever wanted for you was to live up to your potential."
Amity's scowl deepened and recalled her harp. She played a note, and the Abomination glowed with bard magic. It twisted Odalia's arm, and the ex-Blight winced at the sudden pain.
"The only thing you wanted me to live up to was the image you wanted to make!" Amity retorted and shook her head. "Titan, I can't believe it took me so long to realize how little of my life I actually controlled."
Amity heard a noise and looked past Odalia. Hettie had finished treating the Blacklights and Vee, and they were coming to their senses. She frowned when she saw that Drake was the only one the Ex-Healing Head was having problems with; the shop owner was still on the ground and holding his head.
Amity filed this development and turned her attention back to the woman she shares blood with.
"Again, Mittens, I have no idea what you mean?" the ex-Blight repeated, still in denial.
Amity sighed and played another note on her harp. Odalia braced herself for another wave of pain and was surprised nothing came.
"Right," Amity replied sarcastically, "I just happened to walk into your study when you began griping about the twins skipping their classes. You knew I would report them, all so I could try and gain some affection from you."
Amity shook her head as she recalled that day all too well; she had walked into her mother's study, and the second Odalia saw Amity, she began to rant. Odalia had laid it on thick, saying that Ed and Em were disgracing the family name and that Amity was her only good child.
Amity shook her head and cleared the memory away. She looked at Boscha quickly and sighed. She fixed her eyes on her ex-mother.
"Then there was Grudgby. You had the Trisights over for a business lunch, but all you really talked about was how Boscha wanted to play the sport," Amity said, the anger in her voice raising. "You even went as far as to say that you hold Grudgby players to the highest honor."
Amity shook her head angrily and played on her harp again. Bard magic filled the area and carried a soothing melody throughout the air. She played for nearly two minutes as she tried to get her anger under control.
"So, thinking I could finally get some love from me, I signed up for the Banshees," Amity explained after calming down a little. "I worked hard and soon was made the team's captain. HA, I should have known you didn't really care about the game; to you, it was about bragging about how I got all my talent from you."
Amity sighed, suddenly feeling drained, and sat in front of Odalia. Lilith quickly joined her daughter and wiggled under her arm. It wasn't long before Luz, Camila, and Eda joined them.
Luz took a seat on Amity's right and wrapped her arm around Amity's shoulder. Camila sat on her daughter's lap, and Eda was seated next to Luz. Amity couldn't help but smile at her real family and then look at Odalia.
She didn't miss the scornful, jealous look Odalia was giving the Owl Familia, which gave her the energy needed to continue.
"But, I continue to play, hoping that you would at least show up to one of my games," Amity said, sighing deeply. "But that was me just dreaming."
Amity looked at Boscha again and saw how conflicted her "cousin" was. She offered the three-eyed witch an empty smile, telling her she understood her confusion, and then turned back to Odalia.
"I bet you don't even remember what you said when I finally showed you a post of one of my games," Amity said, anger once again working its way into her voice. "You said my form needed work. You didn't even look at the video but said my form needed WORK!"
Luz sensed her fiance's anger through their Soul Stones and frowned. She thought quickly and gently turned Amity's head so she was looking at her. Luz kissed Amity before she could ask what the human was up to.
Odalia gagged at this, and the couple noticed this. Amity deepened the kiss and even ran her hand through Luz's hair. Odalia felt her stomach churn from the display, but Amity and Luz stopped before she could throw up.
Luz smiled at Amity, and the young witch returned the gesture. With her mind at ease, Amity looked at her ex-mother sternly.
"Because I couldn't get your voice out of my head, I became reckless. I decided it was time to quit when I hurt a teammate," the tri-track student explained calmly. "But you never even asked why I quit."
Boscha, Willow, Gus, and Hunter got behind Amity, and the three-eyed witch squeezed her friend's shoulder. Amity looked up at Boscha as she sent her friend a silent message. Amity sighed and patted Boscha's hand.
She then looked at Odalia, and most of the emotions had faded from her eyes.
"But, despite everything you put me through, nothing compares to what you did to me a few months again," Amity said, her voice suddenly devoid of emotions. "You couldn't handle I was starting to break away from the image you wanted to make out of me!"
Amy gently pulled herself from her family and friends and stood up. She grabbed her harp and walked up to Odalia. The ex-Blight was surprised to see nothing but indifference in Amity's eyes.
"You lost it when I wanted to become my own person," Amity spoke coldly. "You lost it so much you went as far as to use one of the most dangerous spells on the Boiling Isles just to regain control of me!"
Amity looked at the hand Odalia put the curse on and sighed deeply. She looked at her ex-mother difference.
"For months, when I felt pain in this wrist, I wondered why you did it. Why go so far as to risk your own status just so you could control me again?" Amity wondered out loud, "But I soon realized it, you're petty and went to control everything you see! Titan, Odalia, you're so pathetic that you still haven't realized you have not lost only the family you made but your birth family with everything you pulled."
Odalia's face suddenly twisted with anger, and she lunged for Amity. The young witch cocked an eyebrow as the Abomination held her ex-mother firmly.
"Don't ever talk about the pathetic family in my presence," Odalia barked venomously. "The Golddaggers wasted their potential by being nothing but teachers!"
Amity shook her head and played a note on her harp. "The Golddaggers are good people. They spent their lives helping out witchkind, something you never did until it helped you. You thought you were so much better than everyone else that you never gave your family the time of day."
Odalia growled as she glared at her daughter with such hatred one could feel the heat. Amity wasn't impressed.
"But your role in my life ended long before my real family took me in," Amity said coldly. "And all I have left to say to you, Odalia, is have a good life. I know I will now that you're no longer a part of it."
With her peace said, she put away her harp and returned to her family. Luz, Lilith, Camila, and Eda quickly hugged Amity, and the girl collapsed into their embrace.
"You good, sweet potato?" Luz asked softly.
"I will be," Amity replied weakly, "But that was more emotionally draining than I thought it would be."
Luz nodded and hugged her future wife a little tighter.
While the Owl Familia was comforting one of their own, Boscha took this time to go over to Odalia. The ex-CEO gave the athlete a half-hearted glare when she noticed her.
"What do you want, brat?" she asked venomously.
"Did you have anything to do with my mother?" Boscha asked bluntly.
Odalia looked at the three-eyed witch indifferently and then let out a deranged laugh.
"Like I would do anything so uncouth," she replied, smiling a deranged smile. "But, maybe a rant at the local tavern where those anti-coven or Pro-Belos groups gathered, and who knew what may have transpired."
Boscha growled as her eyes narrowed and her fists tightened to the point that her nails nearly broke her skin. Odalia saw this, and her smile became more deranged.
"Oh, is that the famous Trisight temper I'm seeing," Odalia taunted, "Careful dear, that temper almost got your mom expelled."
Boscha growled again and got ready to punch Odalia. The young witch suddenly sighed tiredly and relaxed.
"They are right about you," Boscha said indifferently, "You are lame."
Odalia gawked at the three-eyed witch like she had grown a second head. It was clear she wasn't expecting that response.
It wasn't long before a strange mix of derangement and anger crossed the woman's face.
"What do you think you're doing?" Odalia demanded angrily. "Your role in life is to be someone my daughter overcomes. YOU CAN'T GO AGAINST THAT!"
Boscha cocked an eye and then sighed. "This isn't some silly little drama," she said calmly. "People and their lives are always changing. And I'm tired of being so angry. Now, I got to find someone and say I'm sorry."
Boscha walked over to the door and sighed heavily. She stepped through it and returned to the demon realm.
Darius watched as the young witch left and then turned his attention to Odalia. He walked up to her and looked down at the woman.
"Now that this little drama is done, there's something that needs to be taken care of," the councilman said calmly. "Odalia, you are under arrest and should be returned to prison immediately."
"HA!" Odalia laughed arrogantly, "If I got out once, I surely can do it again."
Darius frowned at this; despite Odalia's slipping sanity, something told the older witch that Odalia was capable of such a fit. Add in that the conformatorium was still a mess stuff-wise, and problems are bound to happen.
Mister X walked up to Darius as he was thinking. The witch looked at the human curious as to what he wanted.
"I couldn't help but overhear your little problem, and I would like to offer a solution," X said, then offered a hand. "Mister X, Government official."
"Darius Deamonne, Chairman of internal affairs," Darius replied, shaking the agent's hand. "And what do you have in mind?"
"Well," X said, glancing at the witch, "It's not the alien I wanted, but maybe I could study her for a bit as she does some community service around Earth. Sounds like she could do with some time away from home."
"Hmm," Darius looked at Odalia and saw the shocked look she was now sporting. "That's not a bad idea. As long as she serves her sentence and you don't do anything unethical, I don't see any reason not to take your offer. We can even offer some witches to keep an eye on her and keep her magic use in check."
"Wonderful! We will set everything up over brunch!" X cheerfully said and took out his phone. "Jenny, girl! Bring the car around! We have an alien to study!"
The government agent walked away as he continued to talk on his phone. Darius sighed and looked around; everything seemed to be in order, and now, all that was left was to wait for the rejuvenation potions to wear off on the owl mothers.
He frowned when he noticed something; Drake was still on the ground, and Hettie was still treating him. He was about to go over and ask what the problem was when a voice cut through the air.
"YOU!"
Everyone looked in time to see Stan point at Eda. The "knocked-down" mother stared at the man for a second and then grinned mischievously.
"Hi, Moldy," Eda said cheerfully and then took off.
"Oh no, you don't!" Stan retorted and gave chase. "I still owe you for Vegas and that other time!"
The Owl Familia was too tired to try and help Eda. So, they just watched as the old man chased the "knocked-down" witch around.
(SC)
In some unknown location, Abigail entered a room. The squid-like demon disappeared in a puff of smoke, replaced by the former heads of the Illusion and Construction Covens.
"Well that wassss a busst!" Adrian hissed.
The former head of the Potion coven walked up to Adrian and slapped him.
"I don't talk like that!" Vimitir stated.
"I'm a method actor," Adrian retorted, "I commit to all my roles."
Manson rolled his eyes as Adrian and Vimitir began to argue, and he went over to Terra Snapdragon. The ex-Plant head was sitting at a table and sipping on some tea.
"So, what do you think?" the ex-head asked curiously.
Terra looked as Adrian continued to argue with Vimitir and let out a sigh.
"The biggest problem with my teacher's daughter was how she handled things," the ex-plant head replied. "That human and her ragtag family aren't just the heroes who saved the Isles but the premier suppliers of rejuvenation potions. Trying to kill them outright wouldn't do much."
Terra finished her tea and stood up. She walked over to a nearby window and leered at a few witches passing below her.
"No, if we are to establish our own rule, the best thing to do is take out the heroes of the Isles in such a way the people here will lose the will to fight back," Terra explained and looked at Mason with a murderous grin. "Ghoul Break is in a few months away. We will make our move then. And when the Owl Familia is out of the picture, we will make a rule that will dwarf Belo's reign!"
Terra cackled wickedly but was soon interrupted by Belos's insane cackling. She looked as the ex-emperor's head turned 360, and she sighed.
"Will someone return this poor soul to the Conformatorium?" Terra asked, "Even I'm not that cruel to leave him like this."
Manson sighed and gently grabbed the witch hunter by the arm. He led Belos past Adrian and Vmitri, who were now engaged in a slap fight, and out of the room.
"ARIDAN!" a shrill voice suddenly shouted through the door. "You and your deadbeat friends keep the noise down! My stories are on!"
Terra sighed bitterly and decided the next meeting would be at Mason's place.
(M Corner)
I bet a lot had figured out that Abigail wasn't who she said she was. But I bet they didn't think it would be the missing Coven heads.
So writing out this chapter, I came to some realizations; first, how did Amity even know her siblings were class-cutting? So, much like everyone else, I have come to believe that Odalia was using her older children as pawns in her plans to make Amity look better in the eyes of Hexside's staff.
Then there was Boscha and Skara. Besides a single line, we never knew what relationships the Blights actually had with Boscha and Skara's families. So, I have come to believe that Odalia set up Amity's friendship with the two to continue her plan to make Amity look good in the eyes of others.
But enough tech talk, forks, the end is near. Only the last side chapter and the epilogue, and this story's done. Be sure to look forward to them.